Category: Missionary Bible Commentaries

Dn 12:1-3; Ps 16; Heb 10:11-14,18; Mk 13:24-32

COMMENTARY

The Mission Continues Until the “End.”

We have reached the second to last Sunday of the liturgical year. In today’s Gospel, the Lord invites us to reflect on the conclusion of our time and, in this context, on the fulfillment of the divine saving mission with His second coming. In addition, He exhorts us to discern the signs of His approach in our history through His timeless words of truth and life. Let us now examine these points in more detail.

1. “In those days.” The Inevitability of the “Serious” Conclusion

The Gospel passage in question represents the concluding portion of Jesus’ extensive eschatological discourse on the subject of the end times. In this passage, Jesus alludes to the final days of history, as foretold by numerous prophets prior to His time, such as Daniel (first reading). The imminent destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem serves as an image and “omen” of the end. Consequently, in speaking of “those days,” Jesus references the ancient prophets and their language, indicating the impending terrible final tribulation (“such as has not been since the beginning of God’s creation until now, nor ever will be”; Mk 13:19) and cosmic disasters. This underscores the gravity of the event and simultaneously its inevitability.

It is interesting to note the similarities between the description of the phenomena and misfortunes preceding the end of the Temple and, symbolically of the world, and the chronicles of our own day, with the accounts “of wars and insurrections”, “nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom”, “earthquakes, famines, and plagues!” (Lk 21:5-19; Mk 13:8-9). It could be said that we are always in the ‘end times.’ Therefore, Jesus’ advice to His disciples about discerning and acting in the midst of “that tribulation” remains as relevant today as it was then. 

2. “He Will Send Out the Angels and Gather His Elect From the Four Winds.” The Culmination of God’s Mission in Christ

In this context of final tragedies, the reference to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s mission in Christ is significant and comforting: “He will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds.” It is also noteworthy that Christ’s “missionary” or “sent” angels will play a role in this operation of God’s ultimate salvation. Two observations are necessary here.

Firstly, the expression in question recalls the one in the conclusion of the parable of the seed and the weeds, which I quote in full for its meaning:

Just as weeds are collected and burned [up] with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear. (Mt 13:40-43)

It is thus the action of eventually gathering not only the “saved,” but also the “unrighteous,” as previously indicated by the prophet Daniel, “some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.” Not all in the same sack, for along with God’s infinite mercy, there exists and reigns over all ‘his justice’ which “will repay everyone according to his works” (cf. Rom 2:6). So, “whoever has ears ought to hear” and reflect on it before the end!

Furthermore, the sending of angels, Christ’s special heavenly messengers, during His final mission are somehow (mystically) connected with His sending of the disciples, the earthly “envoys”, from the beginning of Christianity throughout history until the end of the world.

Indeed, these activities of the disciples, sent by Christ to all peoples to proclaim the Gospel, are explicitly mentioned in the description of what will happen with His followers in the period leading up to the end: “They will hand you over to the courts. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will be arraigned before governors and kings because of me, as a witness before them. But the gospel must first be preached to all nations” (Mk 13:9-10). It could be said that as we progress further along the path of history, the work of evangelization will become increasingly important and “necessary”, particularly in light of the potential for persecution. As the proclamation of the Gospel intensifies, Christians participate in God’s plan to prepare all humanity for “those final days” of salvation by proclaiming God’s unconditional love in Christ to all. 

3. In the Meantime, Learn the Wisdom!

In light of God’s saving mission, disciples are still called to live under the guidance of wisdom, which comes from Jesus’ conclusive teaching and manifests itself in three forms. Firstly, the ability to discern the approaching, indeed the ripening, of the definitive time by observing the natural rhythm of the fig tree.

Secondly, it is crucial to acknowledge that the teachings of the Lord represent the only absolute in a world where everything, including the heavens and the earth, will eventually pass away. It is therefore essential to base all aspects of life on this unshakable foundation.

Finally, do not expend time and resources on an exhaustive search for the precise date and time of the end, as this is solely within the purview of God the Father’s wisdom. 

It is my hope that this threefold wisdom will guide each of us on our Christian life journey, enabling us to adequately prepare, collectively with our brothers and sisters worldwide, for the ultimate encounter with the Lord in these final days of history. And so be it. Amen.

POINTS TO CONSIDER

1Kgs 17:10-16; Ps 146; Heb 9:24-28; Mk 12:38-44

COMMENTARY

The Contribution of the Poor for God

Today’s Gospel is short, especially if you read the second (“abbreviated”) version provided by the Lectionary. So, the commentary shouldn’t be any longer than the Word of God! (I imagine someone will shout Hallelujah here!). I’ll be brief, just three points (about half an hour!) to help us understand the central message of this concise, but meaningful episode.

1. “Jesus, Sat Down […] Observed.” A Pretty Scene

I’m always struck by this scene of Jesus in the Temple. As the evangelist Mark tells it, “Jesus sat down opposite the treasury [in the Temple], and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.” It’s intriguing to see Jesus, who had time to sit and observe the people passing by, almost without a purpose and as if He had nothing to do in life! He was just an itinerant nobody with three ‘no’s’: no home, no job, no money!

In reality, He was in the Temple, and thus He was fulfilling His life’s mission, as He had told His mother after He was found right in the Temple: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (translated from the original Greek). His purpose in life was to be in the Temple of God, where He could fulfill the mission He’d been given by the Father: to focus exclusively on God’s work.

So, we’re always with Him on this mission. It’s from this missionary perspective that we should “sit” quietly and “observe” the actions of others before God. (It would also be interesting to spend some time in a church, especially in Rome, and observe people coming and going. This could inspire us and help us create a spiritual meditation based on their behaviors to grow in the missionary spirit!).

2. “A Poor Widow Also Came and Put In Two Small Coins”

I’m a bit surprised that Jesus was able to figure out the exact amount of the offering made by the poor widow from a distance. It was clear from her clothes that the woman was poor. However, it is interesting to understand how He was able to identify so accurately, from a distance, that she “put in two small coins worth a few cents.” Either His sight was superhuman or His hearing was supra-natural, thus enabling Him to hear the sound of each coin hitting the base of the Treasury! In any case, what happened shows that Jesus was really interested in this widow, and that God cares about all pilgrims, orphans, and widows, as you can see in Psalm 145.

In Christ’s mission and in God’s mission, every step and every action of the poor, the weakest, and the helpless is seen and known by Him. Every tear will be remembered. Every offering will always be noticed and appreciated.

3. “Amen, I Say To You, This Poor Widow […] Has Contributed All She Had, Her Whole Livelihood.”

Jesus’ comment to the disciples about the widow’s offering is really quite significant and moving. Once more, it took divine insight into the woman’s personal life – something only Jesus could have – to say that she “has contributed all she had.” He made it sound like a formal teaching, saying, “Amen, I say to you.” And to reinforce the thought and to heighten the drama of the situation, Jesus continues with a clarification: she “[has contributed], her whole livelihood.”

The original Greek is even more concise and “dramatic” here, using the phrase “her whole livelihood.” It’s simply holon ton bion [autes] which literally means “her whole livelihood.” Yes, the widow offered God “her whole life” in the Temple, throwing the two coins, everything she had at that moment. And the Lord saw her and He pointed it out to His disciples, with authority and with a clear emphasis on the gap between the woman’s misery and generosity for God compared to the other people in the Temple, richer and wealthier. By her concrete offering, small but significant, she participates with her whole life in God’s mission for the world.

I conclude this examination of Jesus’ teachings without offering a hasty conclusion or posing an uncomfortable question for the examination of conscience that every believer will have to make in life with God. I pause only to continue contemplating this unnamed and unidentified widow, whose circumstances and age are unknown to me. Perhaps it is because she is always present among us, even today. (We will have to grow in our spiritual journey in order to have the eyes of Jesus and be able to notice her). Perhaps I now comprehend Jesus’ initial beatitude with greater clarity: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3). (And perhaps I also understand the ironic joke of a pastor with great experience in church building: “Every church is usually built with the money of the poor and the advice of the rich!”).

Useful points to consider:

Dt 6:2-6; Ps 18; Heb 7:23-28; Mk 12:28b-34

COMMENTARY

The Mission of Love

After the Missionary Month, in which we resumed the path of “ordinary” reflection on the Gospel of each Sunday, we heard today a very important passage in which Jesus solemnly affirms that love is the foundation of life with God. This principle of love is also revealed as the basis of the mission which Jesus fulfills as “God’s envoy” and which He will later entrust to His disciples. We are now invited by the Word of God to deepen this dimension of love in our lives as believers, also with the help of the teaching of the Pope, who just a few days ago, with the publication of the Encyclical Letter “Dilexit nos” On the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ, offered us a precious opportunity to reflect on the importance of love.

Furthermore, St. Francis of Assisi elucidates the tangible actions to be taken to demonstrate love for God. In his commentary on the Lord’s Prayer, the saint states:

Your will be done on earth as in heaven: That we may love You with our whole heart by always thinking of You, with our whole soul by always desiring You, with our whole mind by always directing all our intentions to You, and by seeking Your glory in everything with all our whole strength by exerting all our energies and affections of body and soul in the service of Your love and of nothing else.

In this way, St. Francis provided clear and detailed instructions on how we should love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength. This entails a constant contemplation of God, an aspiration towards Him, the orientation of one’s intentions towards Him, and the allocation of all available resources in the service of God alone. Some readers may perceive such radical and arguably impractical directives for those of us who are mortal sinners, who unfortunately have to engage in other activities in life. However, this teaching of the saint of Assisi establishes a path towards that love for God to which we are all called.

3. What does it mean to love your neighbor?

The aforementioned commentary by St. Francis of Assisi about the love we must have for God continues with his explanation of love for neighbor as an expression of God’s own will for our lives. From here we can glimpse an important but little-mentioned aspect in the love we must have for our neighbors. The saint writes:

Your will be done on earth as in heaven: That we may love You […]; and we may love our neighbour as ourselves by drawing them all to Your love with our whole strength, by rejoicing in the good of others as in our own by suffering with others at their misfortunes, and by giving offence to no one.

We are fortunate to have the wisdom of the saints to guide us in our pursuit of true love for our neighbors, which Jesus recommended as an intrinsic connection with love for God. Above all, loving our neighbor means “drawing” everyone toward the love of God. Of course, such love for one’s neighbor involves helping the one in need, doing good to him / her, and “giving no offense to anyone.” Nevertheless, the essence of concrete love of neighbor remains our helping everyone so that they can find and rediscover the love of God that surpasses everything in life.

In conclusion, today’s Gospel passage offers us a helpful reminder of God’s will for each of us. It may be said that God’s intention for humanity is to love God with one’s whole being and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. In other words, as St. Francis suggests, it could be said that God’s will for us is always and everywhere to love Him and others, regardless of age, state of life, vocation, or profession.

This suggests that we should endeavour to encourage everyone to embrace God’s love. This is the mission of love that Christ accomplished and passed on to His disciples, who were sent throughout the world. Perhaps it would be beneficial for each of us to reflect on whether we feel an inner calling to spread God’s and Christ’s love to others and guide them towards Him. May God give us the strength to live in love and for love.

Useful points to consider:

Pope Francis, Encyclical Letter on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ,Dilexit Nos

207. The flames of love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus also expand through the Church’s missionary outreach, which proclaims the message of God’s love revealed in Christ. Saint Vincent de Paul put this nicely when he invited his disciples to pray to the Lord for “this spirit, this heart that causes us to go everywhere, this heart of the Son of God, the heart of our Lord, that disposes us to go as he went… he sends us, like [the apostles], to bring fire everywhere”.

208. Saint Paul VI, addressing religious Congregations dedicated to the spread of devotion to the Sacred Heart, made the following observation. “There can be no doubt that pastoral commitment and missionary zeal will fan into flame, if priests and laity alike, in their desire to spread the glory of God, contemplate the example of eternal love that Christ has shown us, and direct their efforts to make all men and women sharers in the unfathomable riches of Christ”. As we contemplate the Sacred Heart, mission becomes a matter of love. For the greatest danger in mission is that, amid all the things we say and do, we fail to bring about a joyful encounter with the love of Christ who embraces us and saves us.

209. Mission, as a radiation of the love of the heart of Christ, requires missionaries who are themselves in love and who, enthralled by Christ, feel bound to share this love that has changed their lives. They are impatient when time is wasted discussing secondary questions or concentrating on truths and rules, because their greatest concern is to share what they have experienced. They want others to perceive the goodness and beauty of the Beloved through their efforts, however inadequate they may be

Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter to the Bishops Priests and Deacons Men and Women Religious and All the Lay Faithful on Christian Love,Deus Caritas Est

1. […] In acknowledging the centrality of love, Christian faith has retained the core of Israel’s faith, while at the same time giving it new depth and breadth. The pious Jew prayed daily the words of the Book of Deuteronomy which expressed the heart of his existence: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might” (6:4-5). Jesus united into a single precept this commandment of love for God and the commandment of love for neighbour found in the Book of Leviticus: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (19:18; cf. Mk 12:29-31). Since God has first loved us (cf. 1 Jn 4:10), love is now no longer a mere “command”; it is the response to the gift of love with which God draws near to us. […]

9. […] The history of the love-relationship between God and Israel consists, at the deepest level, in the fact that he gives her the Torah, thereby opening Israel’s eyes to man’s true nature and showing her the path leading to true humanism. It consists in the fact that man, through a life of fidelity to the one God, comes to experience himself as loved by God, and discovers joy in truth and in righteousness—a joy in God which becomes his essential happiness: “Whom do I have in heaven but you? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides you … for me it is good to be near God” (Ps 73 [72]:25, 28). […]

16. […] Can we love God without seeing him? And can love be commanded? Against the double commandment of love these questions raise a double objection. No one has ever seen God, so how could we love him? Moreover, love cannot be commanded; it is ultimately a feeling that is either there or not, nor can it be produced by the will. Scripture seems to reinforce the first objection when it states: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:20). But this text hardly excludes the love of God as something impossible. On the contrary, the whole context of the passage quoted from the First Letter of John shows that such love is explicitly demanded. The unbreakable bond between love of God and love of neighbour is emphasized. One is so closely connected to the other that to say that we love God becomes a lie if we are closed to our neighbour or hate him altogether. Saint John’s words should rather be interpreted to mean that love of neighbour is a path that leads to the encounter with God, and that closing our eyes to our neighbour also blinds us to God.

17. […] In the Church’s Liturgy, in her prayer, in the living community of believers, we experience the love of God, we perceive his presence and we thus learn to recognize that presence in our daily lives. He has loved us first and he continues to do so; we too, then, can respond with love. God does not demand of us a feeling which we ourselves are incapable of producing. He loves us, he makes us see and experience his love, and since he has “loved us first”, love can also blossom as a response within us. […]

18. […] If I have no contact whatsoever with God in my life, then I cannot see in the other anything more than the other, and I am incapable of seeing in him the image of God. But if in my life I fail completely to heed others, solely out of a desire to be “devout” and to perform my “religious duties”, then my relationship with God will also grow arid. It becomes merely “proper”, but loveless. Only my readiness to encounter my neighbour and to show him love makes me sensitive to God as well. Only if I serve my neighbour can my eyes be opened to what God does for me and how much he loves me. […] Love of God and love of neighbour are thus inseparable, they form a single commandment. But both live from the love of God who has loved us first. No longer is it a question, then, of a “commandment” imposed from without and calling for the impossible, but rather of a freely-bestowed experience of love from within, a love which by its very nature must then be shared with others. Love grows through love. Love is “divine” because it comes from God and unites us to God; through this unifying process it makes us a “we” which transcends our divisions and makes us one, until in the end God is “all in all” (1 Cor 15:28).

Listen and Love

Jer 31:7-9; Ps 126; Heb 5:1-6; Mk 10:46-52

Commentary

The cries of the earth, thirsting for healing, justice, sharing and peace, are heard in the cry of the blind man of the Gospel, who cries louder, twice louder. In this Missionary Month, we pray for the universal mission of proclaiming Jesus to the world, the source of life and salvation for humanity. Then, at God’s invitation, we hear another cry from his disciples-missionaries: “Cry out for joy!” They call for joy and faith: “Rise up with confidence, he is calling you!” The Word of Jesus is at work throughout the world, wherever it is proclaimed and welcomed. It can heal and transform humanity in the midst of tears and suffering of every kind. It gathers and forms a people of all the saved!

Pope Francis reminds us of the reason for the joyful proclamation required of missionary disciples: And the reason? Good news, a surprise, a beautiful event? Much more, a Person: Jesus! Jesus is the joy. He is the God made man who came to us. The question, dear brothers and sisters, is therefore not whether to proclaim it, but how to proclaim it, and this “how” is joy. Either we proclaim Jesus with joy, or we do not proclaim him […] This is why a discontent Christian, a sad Christian, a dissatisfied, or worse still, resentful or rancorous Christian, is not credible. This person will talk about Jesus but no one will believe him! […] It is essential to keep watch over our emotions. Evangelization works in gratuitousness, because it comes from fullness, not from pressure. And when one evangelizes — one would try to do this, but it does not work — on the basis of ideologies, this is not evangelizing, this is not the Gospel. The Gospel is not an ideology. The Gospel is a proclamation, a proclamation of joy. Ideologies are cold, all of them. The Gospel has the warmth of joy. Ideologies do not know how to smile. The Gospel is a smile; it makes you smile because it touches the soul with the Good News. (Catechesis 26 The passion for evangelization)

In the present context of secularization and in a world so wounded by wars and divisions, let us respond without delay to the invitation of the Father who sent his Son to save us: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet!” (Mt 22:9) We are the witnesses who have met the Son who has destroyed death and made life shine. We are fed at the banquet that offers us his presence and his life in abundance. At the end of every banquet, we are sent out in Christ’s name: “Go!” With the joy of having this presence within us, we set out to be his heralds in this world, waiting for light and hope. Pope Francis continues:

The joy of having the risen Jesus. An encounter with Jesus always brings you joy, and if this does not happen to you, it is not a true encounter with Jesus.[…] Immersed in today’s fast-paced and confused environment, we too in fact, may find ourselves living our faith with a subtle sense of renunciation, persuaded that the Gospel is no longer heard and no longer worth striving to proclaim. We might even be tempted by the idea of letting “others” go their own way. Instead, this is precisely the time to return to the Gospel to discover that Christ “is for ever young and a constant source of newness” (Evangelii gaudium, 11).

Thus, like the two at Emmaus, one returns to daily life with the enthusiasm of one who has found a treasure: they were joyful, those two, because they had found Jesus, and he changed their life. And one discovers that humanity abounds with brothers and sisters waiting for a word of hope. The Gospel is awaited even today. People of today are like people of all times: they need it. Even the civilization of programmed unbelief and institutionalized secularity; indeed, especially the society that leaves the spaces of religious meaning deserted, needs Jesus. This is the right moment for the proclamation of Jesus. Therefore, I would like to say again to everyone: “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew” (ibid., 1). Let us not forget this. (Catechesis 26 The passion for evangelization)

In the face of the wonders that God the Father has accomplished in our lives, may this Missionary Month, as it draws to a close, remind us of our mission to proclaim and witness to Jesus. Today let us also hear the invitation to be fishers of men: let us feel that we are called by Jesus in person to proclaim his Word, to bear witness to it in everyday life, to live it in justice and charity, called to “give it flesh” by tenderly caring for those who suffer. This is our mission: to become seekers of the lost, oppressed and discouraged, not to bring them ourselves, but the consolation of the Word, the disruptive proclamation of God that transforms life, to bring the joy of knowing that He is our Father and addresses each one of us, to bring the beauty of saying, “Brother, sister, God has come close to you, listen and you will find in his Word an amazing gift!” (Pope Francis, Homily, Sunday of the Word of God, 22 January 2023).

In these last days of Mission Month, remembering the theme: Invite everyone, here is a clear message to all disciples-missionaries:

Christ’s missionary disciples have always had a heartfelt concern for all persons, whatever their social or even moral status. The parable of the banquet tells us that, at the king’s orders, the servants gathered “all whom they found, both good and bad” (Mt 22:10). What is more, “the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame” (Lk 14:21), in a word, the least of our brothers and sisters, those marginalized by society, are the special guests of the king. The wedding feast of his Son that God has prepared remains always open to all, since his love for each of us is immense and unconditional. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have life eternal” (Jn 3:16). Everyone, every man and every woman, is invited by God to partake of his grace, which transforms and saves. One need simply say “yes” to this gratuitous divine gift, accepting it and allowing oneself be transformed by it, putting it on like a “wedding robe” (cf. Mt 22:12).

Begging for Compassion

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY

Is 53:10-11; Ps 33; Heb 4:14-16; Mk 10:35-45

COMMENTARY

The theme chosen by Pope Francis for World Mission Sunday is: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (Mt 22:9) The banquet is that of the wedding feast of the Son, of the One who comes to marry all humanity and therefore wants to invite everyone to the wedding feast. He says, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized.” What is this baptism for Jesus if not to be immersed in our humanity from birth to His passion and death, when He will give His life for the many? The Bridegroom has been tested in every way and offers us a love of compassion, mercy and deliverance (Psalm of the Day). More than that, he offers us his life in return – what a greater grace, what a greater gift! We are invited to a sublime, wonderful, merciful wedding (2nd reading)!

The Bridegroom speaks of serving us, which is not our wedding custom. He is the servant who was crushed by suffering and who will vindicate the multitude of his brothers and sisters in humanity (First Reading). Thus, on the menu of the banquet, he offers to serve us salvation, nothing less. His sacrifice, offered in the Holy Eucharist, is a healing grace for our wounded humanity. Yes, we expect our new life from him, sings the Psalm, may his love be upon us, our hope is in him. Let us invite everyone to the banquet of the Eucharist, to the wedding feast of the Lamb: this is our universal mission, ad gentes, to all peoples. In his message for today, Pope Francis tells us: “While the world sets before us the various “banquets” of consumerism, selfish comfort, the accumulation of wealth and individualism, the Gospel calls everyone to the divine banquet, marked by joy, sharing, justice and fraternity in communion with God and with others. This fullness of life, which is Christ’s gift, is anticipated even now in the banquet of the Eucharist, which the Church celebrates at the Lord’s command in memory of him. The invitation to the eschatological banquet that we bring to everyone in our mission of evangelization is intrinsically linked to the invitation to the Eucharistic table, where the Lord feeds us with his word and with his Body and Blood” (Message for World Mission [Sun]Day 2024).

Let’s look at the life of a baptized woman to see what it means to be given the grace to serve our loved ones, even to the point of drinking the cup of suffering and sacrifice. Pope Francis gives us the example of Josephine Bakhita from Sudan: “Born in Darfur — battered Darfur! — in 1869, she was abducted from her family at the age of seven, and made a slave.[…] She had eight different masters — each one sold her on to the next. The physical and moral suffering she experienced as child left her with no identity. […] But she herself testified: ‘As a slave, I never despaired, because I felt a mysterious force supporting me.’ […] what was Saint Bakhita’s secret? We know that a wounded person often wounds in turn: the oppressed easily becomes the oppressor. Instead, the vocation of the oppressed is that of freeing themselves and their oppressors, becoming restorers of humanity. Only in the weakness of the oppressed can the strength of God’s love, which frees both, be revealed. Saint Bakhita expresses this truth very well.

One day her tutor gave her a small crucifix and she, who had never owned anything, treasured it jealously. Looking at it, she experienced inner liberation, because she felt she was understood and loved and therefore capable of understanding and loving: this was the beginning. […] Indeed, she would go on to say: “God’s love has always accompanied me in a mysterious way… The Lord has loved me very much: you have to love everyone … you have to have pity!” This is Bakhita’s soul. Truly, to feel pity means both to suffer with the victims of the great inhumanity in the world, and also to pity those who commit errors and injustices, not justifying, but humanizing. This is the caress she teaches us: to humanize. When we enter the logic of fighting, of division among us, of bad feelings, one against the other, we lose our humanity. And very often we think we are in need of humanity, of being more humane. And this is the work that Saint Bakhita teaches us: to humanize, to humanize ourselves and to humanize others.

When Saint Bakhita, became Christian, she was transformed by the following words of Christ, upon which she meditated every day: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34) […]. We can say that St Bakhita’s life became an existential parable of forgiveness. It is nice to be able to say about someone: “he was capable, she was capable of forgiving, always”. […] Forgiveness set her free. Forgiveness she first received through God’s merciful love, and then the forgiveness given, made her a free, joyful woman, capable of loving. Bakhita was able to experience service not as slavery, but as an expression of the free gift of self. And this is very important: made a servant against her will — she was sold as a slave — she later freely chose to become a servant, to bear the burdens of others on her shoulders. (Catechesis 22 The passion for evangelization).

Finally, the call to drink the cup and lay down one’s life can invite missionary disciples to lay down their lives for Christ. They are nourished at the banquet of the Eucharist and called to conform their lives to this mystery of nuptial love. Since Jesus gave his life for us, they can give their lives out of love for him and for their loved ones. Here’s how Pope Francis explains it, inspired by the martyrdom of St. Lawrence: “Saint Augustine often underlines this dynamic of gratitude and the gratuitous reciprocation of giving. Here, for example, is what he preached on the feast of Saint Lawrence: “He performed the office of deacon; it was there that he administered the sacred chalice of Christ’s blood; there that he shed his own blood for the name of Christ. The blessed apostle John clearly explained the mystery of the Lord’s supper when he said, ‘Just as Christ laid down his life for us, so we too ought to lay down our lives for the brethren’ (1 Jn 3:16). Saint Lawrence understood this, my brethren, and he did it; and he undoubtedly prepared things similar to what he received at that table. He loved Christ in his life, he imitated him in his death” (Sermons 304, 14; pl 38, 1395-1397). In this way, Saint Augustine explained the spiritual dynamism that inspired the martyrs.” (Catechesis 11 The passion for evangelization)

Vatican Council II reminds us that “martyrdom makes the disciple like his master, who willingly accepted death for the salvation of the world and through it he is conformed to him by the shedding of blood. Therefore the Church considers martyrdom the highest gift and supreme proof of love” (cf. Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, 42). Pope Francis explains: “Imitating Christ and with his grace, martyrs turn the violence of those who reject the proclamation into the supreme proof of love, which goes as far as the forgiveness of their own persecutors. This is interesting: martyrs always forgive their persecutors. Stephen, the first martyr, died as he prayed, “Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do”. Martyrs pray for their persecutors. Although martyrdom is asked of only a few, “nevertheless all must be prepared to confess Christ before men. They must be prepared to make this profession of faith even in the midst of persecutions, which will never be lacking to the Church, in following the way of the cross” (ibid., 42). But, were these persecutions something of those times? No, no: today. Today there are persecutions of Christians throughout the world, many, many. There are more martyrs today than in the early times. Martyrs show us that every Christian is called to the witness of life, even when this does not go as far as the shedding of blood, making a gift of themselves to God and to their brethren, in imitation of Jesus.” (Catechesis 11).

On this World Mission Sunday, let us respond to the call of all the baptized to serve and to give our lives. Let us invite everyone to discover the richness of our Christian spirituality and our Eucharistic banquet, where Jesus gives his life for us and gives us the grace to do the same for others. Let us pray for the great universal mission of the baptized and support it concretely through our financial offerings dedicated entirely to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the pontifical work that helps young Churches. Let us stand firm in the affirmation of our faith, which has as its model the Servant and High Priest Jesus, who gives his life anew today in the banquet of his Eucharist. Let’s go and invite everyone to this banquet of true food, the bread of eternal life!

Finally, even if we’re tempted to stay at the banquet, to stay with Jesus, there’s always the call to mission. Go, says Christ. “However, there is no staying without going. In fact, following Christ is not an inward-looking fact: without proclamation, without service, without mission, the relationship with Jesus does not grow. We note that in the Gospel the Lord sends the disciples before having completed their preparation: shortly after having called them, he is already sending them! This means that the experience of mission is part of Christian formation. Let us then recall these two constitutive moments for every disciple: staying with Jesus and going forth, sent by Jesus.” (Catechesis 4).

Why invite, why announce this banquet to everyone? Pope Francis continues: “Whyproclaim: The motivation lies in a few words of Jesus, which it is good for us to remember: “Freely you have received, freely give” (v. 8). They are just a few words. But why proclaim? Because I have received freely, and I should give freely. The proclamation does not begin from us, but from the beauty of what we have received for free, without merit: meeting Jesus, knowing him, discovering that we are loved and saved. It is such a great gift that we cannot keep it to ourselves, we feel the need to spread it; but in the same style, right? That is, in gratuitousness. In other words: we have a gift, so we are called to make a gift of ourselves; we have received a gift and our vocation is to make a gift of ourselves to others; there is in us the joy of being children of God, it must be shared with our brothers and sisters who do not yet know it! This is the reason for the proclamation. Going forth and bringing the joy of what we have received.(Catechesis 4 The passion for evangelization)

Cardinal Luis Antonio G Tagle’s Word on World Mission Sunday 2024

Wis 7:7-11; Ps 90; Heb 4:12-13; Mk 10:17-30

Commentary

In this Missionary Month, Christ’s call to follow him, to leave everything behind for the Gospel and eternal life, calls us. He wants people who are poor at heart, who seek only to live by the riches of his Word, who pray to receive and radiate his wisdom. Being a disciple-missionary leads us to renounce the riches of this world and to choose the only riches that can satisfy our hearts: the riches of the Lord’s love, as today’s Psalm asks. “Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!” (Ps 90).

Pope Francis gave the example of Madeleine Delbrêl as a seeker of God who lived in agnosticism until the age of twenty. Then she set out in search of God with a deep thirst and an emptiness that cried out in her anguish. Her journey of faith led her to choose a life totally dedicated to God, at the heart of the Church and the world. “Dazzled by the encounter with the Lord, she wrote: “Once we have heard God’s Word, we no longer have the right not to accept it; once we have accepted it, we no longer have the right not to let it become flesh in us; once it has become flesh in us, we no longer have the right to keep it for ourselves alone. Henceforward, we belong to all those who are waiting for the Word” (We, the Ordinary People of the Streets, trans. David Louis Schindler, Jr. and Charles F. Mann. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000, 62)” (Catechesis 25. The passion for evangelization). Isn’t that what this Sunday’s letter to the Hebrews testifies to? The word of God is living and effective (Cf. Heb 4:12), and will be incarnated in us so that we can bear witness to it to others.

Another disciple-missionary who left everything to follow Christ and be a witness to his Gospel is Brother Charles de Foucault. “After living his youth being distant from God, without believing in anything other than the disordered pursuit of pleasure, he confides this to a non-believing friend, to whom, after having converted by accepting the grace of God’s forgiveness in Confession, he reveals the reason of his life. He writes: “I have lost my heart to Jesus of Nazareth”. Brother Charles thus reminds us that the first step in evangelizing is to have Jesus inside one’s heart; it is to “fall head over heels” for him. If this does not happen, we can hardly show it with our lives. Instead, we risk talking about ourselves, the group to which we belong, a morality or, even worse, a set of rules, but not about Jesus, his love, his mercy” (Catechesis 23. The passion for evangelization).

The disciple-missionary has found the treasure of which Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel. Continuing his catechesis on Charles de Foucault, the Pope speaks of this treasure: “When one of us gets to know Jesus better, the desire to make him known, to share this treasure, arises. In his commentary on the account of Our Lady’s visit to Saint Elizabeth, He makes him say: I have given myself to the world… take me to the world. Yes, but how is this done? Like Mary did in the mystery of the Visitation: “in silence, by example, by life”. With one’s life, because “our entire existence”, writes Brother Charles, “must shout the Gospel”. And very often our existence shouts worldly things, it calls out many stupid things, strange things, and he says: No, “all our existence must shout the Gospel”. He then decides to settle in distant regions to cry out the Gospel in silence, living in the spirit of Nazareth, in poverty and concealment. He goes to the Sahara Desert, among non-Christians, and he goes there as a friend and a brother, bearing the meekness of Jesus the Eucharist” (Catechesis 23).

Jesus’ promise to anyone who leaves everything behind for the sake of him and the gospel is to enter eternal life, the kingdom! This is impossible for man, but possible with God! In this Missionary Month, let us celebrate God’s continuing call to all to follow him and give of themselves for the Gospel and the Kingdom. Finally, let us allow God to make possible our desire to embrace mission wholeheartedly. This call is also reflected in the theme of next Sunday, the World Mission Sunday: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet (cf. Mt 22:9).”

In “Come and follow me,” as in “Go and invite everyone,” there is a call to go. Let’s return to the testimony of Madeleine Delbrel: “To be with you on your path, we must go, even when our laziness begs us to stay. You have chosen us to stay in a strange balance, a balance that can be achieved and maintained only in movement, only in momentum. A bit like a bicycle, which does not stay upright unless its wheels turn […]. We can stay upright only by going forward, moving, in a surge of charity”. It is what she calls the “spirituality of the bicycle” (cf. Umorismo nell’Amore. Meditazioni e poesie, Milan 2011, 56). Only on the move, on the go, do we live in the balance of faith, which is an imbalance, but it is like that: like the bicycle. If you stop, it does not stay upright” (Catechesis 25 The Passion for Evangelization).

The rich man in the Gospel who seeks eternal life has not found joy, but the sadness of materialism. On the contrary for those who, have found true joy in giving everything and choosing Jesus, Pope Francis reminds us that today is an opportune moment to proclaim Jesus and the joy of the Gospel: “Thus, like the two at Emmaus, one returns to daily life with the enthusiasm of one who has found a treasure: they were joyful, those two, because they had found Jesus, and he changed their life. And one discovers that humanity abounds with brothers and sisters waiting for a word of hope. The Gospel is awaited even today. People of today are like people of all times: they need it. Even the civilization of programmed unbelief and institutionalized secularity; indeed, especially the society that leaves the spaces of religious meaning deserted, needs Jesus. This is the right moment for the proclamation of Jesus. Therefore, I would like to say again to everyone: “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew” (ibid., 1)” (Catechesis 26).

Finally, let us join Pope Francis in giving thanks during this Missionary Month for all those who have responded to the call to leave everything behind for the proclamation of the Gospel:

“I take this opportunity to thank all those missionaries who, in response to Christ’s call, have left everything behind to go far from their homeland and bring the Good News to places where people have not yet received it, or received it only recently. Dear friends, your generous dedication is a tangible expression of your commitment to the mission ad gentes that Jesus entrusted to his disciples: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). We continue to pray and we thank God for the new and numerous missionary vocations for the task of evangelization to the ends of the earth” (Message for World Mission [Sun]Day 2024).

Gn 2:18-24; Ps 128; Heb 2:9-11; Mk 10:2-16

COMMENTARY

On this first Missionary Sunday of October, let’s begin by recognizing the blessings that the Lord has wanted to give us since the creation of the world! The blessing of the spouses who help each other (First Reading); the blessing of family life and the happiness of walking in the ways of the Lord (Psalm); the blessing of sanctification brought by Jesus Christ who leads us along the path of love (Second Reading); and finally, the blessing of the hearts of children who welcome the life of the Kingdom (Gospel).

In this Missionary Month, then, let us celebrate those blessed by the Lord who, in their lives consecrated to the Lord, as well as in the lives of couples and families, commit themselves in the name of their faith to building the Kingdom of justice, fraternity, mutual help, charity and solidarity. Through them, God works to unite people and to help the poorest and most needy. Together, and not alone, people learn to overcome individualism, self-centeredness and hardness of heart, and to grow in love, sharing, forgetfulness and self-giving. We’re used to seeing priests and religious communities committed to the cause of the Kingdom of God; our times offer us the grace of missionary couples and families, and also from movements that take up the missionary challenge: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19) “Go and invite everyone to the banquet!” (Mt 22:9) (WMS 2024 theme). Commenting on the chosen theme the Holy Father said: “We find two words that express the heart of the mission: the verbs “to go out” and “to invite”. As for the first, we need to remember that the servants had previously been sent to deliver the king’s invitation to the guests (cf. vv. 3-4). Mission, we see, is a tireless going out to all men and women, in order to invite them to encounter God and enter into communion with him. Tireless! God, great in love and rich in mercy, constantly sets out to encounter all men and women, and to call them to the happiness of his kingdom, even in the face of their indifference or refusal.” (Message for World Mission [Sun]Day 2024)

From the 7th Catechesis of Pope Francis on the Passion for Evangelization, let’s remember the following: “The Council says: “the Christian vocation by its very nature is also a vocation to the apostolate” (Decree Apostolicam actuositatem [AA], 2). It is a calling that is common, just as “a common dignity [is shared] as members from their regeneration in Christ, having the same filial grace and the same vocation to perfection; possessing in common one salvation, one hope and one undivided charity” (Lumen gentium, 32). It is a call that concerns both those who have received the sacrament of Orders, consecrated persons, and all lay faithful, man or woman: it is a call to all.”

Mission is a matter of the heart that welcomes the Kingdom. Blessed Pauline Jaricot discovered this in her life of prayer and summed it up so well: “Prayer is the Kingdom of God within us. May our hearts be overwhelmed by the infinite love of Jesus Christ!” Mission is also a question of proclaiming the Kingdom of God, who is always close, loving and merciful.

Jesus says: “Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (v. 7). This is what must be said, first and foremost: God is near. So, never forget this: God has always been close to the people. He said it to the people himself: He said, “Look, what God is as close to the nations as I am to you?” This closeness is one of the most important things about God. There are three important things: closeness, mercy, and tenderness. Don’t forget that. Who is God? The One Who is Close, the One Who is Tender, the One Who is Merciful. (Catechesis 4. The passion for evangelization)

Let us pray that each person, each couple, each family may find the blessing and beauty of love’s plan for them. If we welcome the Kingdom of God within us, as children of God, our hearts will bear the fruits of love, mutual help, communion and unity, and we will see happiness, as the Psalmist says. May Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus guide us in the mission of all the baptized during this Missionary Month. Pope Francis, inspired by her, tells us: “Missionaries, in fact — of whom Thérèse is patroness — are not only those who travel long distances, learn new languages, do good works, and are good at proclamation; no, a missionary is also anyone who lives as an instrument of God’s love where they are. Missionaries are those who do everything so that, through their witness, their prayer, their intercession, Jesus might pass by.

This is the apostolic zeal that, let us always remember, never works by proselytism — never — or constraint, — never — but by attraction. Faith is born by attraction. One does not become Christian because they are forced by someone, but because they have been touched by love.” (Catechesis 16. The passion for evangelization).

Pope Francis presents the testimony of a Venezuelan layman who was a missionary and an instrument of God’s love wherever he went: Blessed José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros. “He was born in 1864 and learned the faith above all from his mother, as he recounted, “My mother taught me virtue from the time I was in a crib, made me grow in the knowledge of God and gave me charity as my guide”. Let us take note: it is moms who pass on the faith. The faith is passed on in dialect, that is, in the language of moms, that dialect that moms use to speak with their children. And to you, moms: be mindful in passing on the faith in that maternal dialect.

Truly, charity was the north star that oriented the existence of Blessed José Gregorio: a good and joyful person with a cheerful disposition, he was endowed with a marked intelligence. He became a physician, a university professor, and a scientist. But he was first and foremost a doctor close to the weakest, so much so that he was known in his homeland as “the doctor of the poor”. He cared for the poor, always. To the riches of money he preferred the riches of the Gospel, spending his existence to aid the needy. José Gregorio saw Jesus in the poor, the sick, migrants and the suffering. And the success he never sought in the world, he received, and continues to receive, from the people, who call him “saint of the people”, “apostle of charity”, “missionary of hope”. Beautiful names: “saint of the people”, “apostle of the people”, “missionary of hope”.” (Catechesis 20)

He’s proving that, as the Gospel proclaims this Sunday, “Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us” (1Jn 4:12)

Nm 11:25-29; Ps 19; Jas 5:1-6; Mk 9:38-43,45,47-48

COMMENTARY

Three Key Principles in God’s Mission

The Gospel reading for today presents us with three teachings of Jesus on His journey to Jerusalem, the goal and culmination of His mission. These teachings were previously revealed to the disciples on two occasions. They constitute three key principles that Jesus left to all His followers, who are called to walk the same missionary path with their Master. These principles are inclusiveness, reward, and utmost attention to scandals.

1. The Principle of Missionary Inclusiveness

The account begins with a curious situation presented by John, one of Jesus’ close disciples: “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” It is evident that the disciples felt entitled to defend their prerogative to perform exorcisms in the name of Jesus, a right that they believed was bestowed upon them by Jesus himself in the course of carrying out their mission. From the words of the apostle, we can surmise that, even before presenting the problem to Jesus, the disciples may have attempted to prevent the person who was outside their group from performing exorcisms, but that person may have chosen to ignore them. For this reason, they may have felt compelled to report the situation to Jesus, in the hope that he would be able to provide a stronger and more decisive intervention.

However, Jesus’ response takes an unexpected turn, one that leaves both those present at the time and, arguably, a number of His contemporary followers perplexed: “Do not prevent him.” Why? “There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me.” And He formulated the principle of inclusivity for the mission: “Whoever is not against us is for us.”

This teaching presents a comprehensive vision of magnanimity and universality in mission. This concept is based on God’s dream that all His children “prophesy,” that is, that all receive the Spirit of God and then speak and work in His name. This is the fundamental aspiration that was explicitly articulated by Moses during the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land (as depicted in the first reading). All are invited to participate in God’s mission for the salvation of all, each according to his or her abilities, which are often given to us poor human beings in a divine and therefore mysterious way. Therefore, these authoritative words of Jesus, the Messiah of God, “Do not prevent him,” must be the divine light for His disciples in every age in carrying out the divine mission, so that they do not easily fall into an exclusive view of “us and the rest of the world”. It is imperative that they conduct themselves with divine magnanimity, operating under the assumption that all individuals who do not oppose them can be incorporated into the salvific plan of Christ, His Son, which God continuously executes for humanity in collaboration with Christ’s missionary disciples and through all benevolent individuals whom He loves.

2. The Missionary Reward

In light of the universal divine mission, Jesus continues his teaching by gently reiterating that anyone who support his disciples will be assured of a reward: “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.” By offering divine assurance of reward for even the smallest act of kindness, such as providing a glass of water, Jesus extends an invitation to all to continue performing such acts of generosity and goodwill towards His disciples, who are sent to be His witnesses wherever they may be. Thus, even in our day, we hope that the ranks of “benefactors” of Christ’s missionaries around the world will continue to grow. In this context, the Pontifical Mission Societies will continue to work hard to raise funds to support missionaries, not only from the Christian faithful, but also from all people who, although they are not believers, feel inspired to offer their help, whether small or large.

On the other hand, the image of Christ’s missionary who, in Christ’s words, needed even a glass of water from people of good will, must make us reflect on what is the true way to witness to Christ among people. Perhaps it would be helpful to remember that Christ’s disciples were not sent with money (lots of it) in their pockets to use for themselves and/or to distribute to all the needy wherever they went. No! They were poor in material wealth, but rich in the knowledge of Jesus and the grace of the Gospel. They fulfilled the mission of evangelization without great financial resources, but with the generosity of a heart full of God and Christ.

(Today, perhaps, we are more accustomed to carrying out the mission of evangelization by relying on our economic security, rather than opening ourselves to the various aids that God sends to His missionaries through local people of good will).

3. Beware of scandals

In continuing the teaching from a mission perspective, Jesus concludes with a series of particularly stern words about scandals. These words thus serve as an admonition to all disciples to avoid becoming a source of scandal, that is, a reason for others to stumble, particularly, for the “little,” that is, the weak, believers in Christ. At the same time, they should strive, without compromise, to avoid every source of scandal on their own journey toward the Kingdom of God. The hyperbolic language employed by Jesus, like any good Jewish teacher, serves to underscore the gravity of the situation. Consequently, Jesus’ invitation is not to amputate a hand or foot or to pluck out an eye, but rather to resolutely and radically avoid even the slightest obstacle or deviation in the path of faith.

Such an uncompromising stance is applicable to each and every believer and disciple of Christ. It is not solely for their own salvation, but also and most importantly, for the benefit of all others. We are all connected spiritually and engaged in the same mission of bearing witness to the world of the new life in the Spirit. In this way, we extend an invitation to all to enter the Kingdom of God.

In light of Pope Francis’ vision, which reflects God’s dream for all his people, we might consider how we can participate in God’s mission. In doing so, we can keep in mind the teaching of Christ that we have reflected on today:

Wis 2:12,17-20; Ps 54; Jas 3:16-4:3; Mk 9:30-37

COMMENTARY

The Mission of God’s Messenger

The Gospel reading for today presents Jesus’ second prediction regarding the culminating phase of His mission. The initial prophecy was conveyed on the route to Caesarea Philippi and was previously discussed in the sermon delivered on the previous Sunday. Strangely enough, the disciples’ initial response to Jesus’ words was similar to their previous reaction. They had, that is, human thoughts. This prompted Jesus to offer further teachings on the attitudes every disciple should have in carrying out the divine mission. Even today, Jesus’ words continue to resonate with modern disciples, urging us to examine ourselves, in particular, to reflect on three key aspects for a potential missionary spiritual renewal.

1. A Confidential Revelation to the Disciples 

Firstly, it is essential to examine the specific circumstances surrounding Jesus’ second prediction of his painful death. He shared this information with His disciples when they “began a journey through Galilee” and were intentionally incognito, as the evangelist Mark noted: “He did not wish anyone to know about it.” This is a highly confidential revelation that was intended for close disciples. It occurred along their journey through Galilee, which is Israel’s territory but is also known as Galilee of the Gentiles. This provides insight into the universal horizon of Jesus’ proclamation about the fulfillment of His mission as the Son of Man and the Messiah of God. Additionally, the “reserved” and “on the road” teachings of Jesus may be seen as an implicit invitation to the disciples to accept the tragic “fate” of their Master-Messiah and their own lives and missions in following Him, that is, in walking after Him!

The life of Jesus the Messiah, which ended in such a dramatic manner before men but with divine reward after death, reflects the fate of the righteous persecuted. This fate is already described in the book of Wisdom (first reading) by the sacred author. The righteous Son of God must face trials in life, made by the wicked “with revilement and torture,” and condemned to death. And Jesus Himself, in constant mystical communion with the Father, and also in the light of the divine Word and the righteousness of God in the history of His people, could constantly see His own end, even before everything was fulfilled. This is how He revealed to His disciples…

2. “What were you arguing about on the way?” The Unvarnished Truth about the Apostles’ “War”!

It is regrettable that, despite Jesus’s explicit references to His impending humiliation in Passion and supreme sacrifice of life, His disciples not only demonstrated a lack of interest in questioning or discussing these matters with Him but also allowed themselves to preoccupy themselves with their own human affairs. In fact, “They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.” We can definitely see the humor in the evangelist’s observation, which might even be a bit ironic. What happened, though, seems to be a pretty typical situation that’s repeated in one way or another among Jesus’ disciples, generation after generation! So, even today, there are people who, while praying the rosary with the sorrowful mysteries of Jesus, think about when they’ll become superior of the community!

About this aspiration to become greater among Christians, the Letter of James, written in the first century of Christianity, gives us a glimpse of some “war” situations in its community. Thus, the sacred author had to warn and then denounce: “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. […] Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?” This ongoing war among Jesus’ disciples for superiority was, is and will be a significant challenge to their mission of evangelizing the world that they seek to accomplish at the mandate of their Master and Lord. No one yields to anyone, even when it’s in the name of divine truth! Here, Pope Francis’ cry in Evangelii Gaudium “No to warring among ourselves” (cf. nn. 98-101), with its scathing analysis of the current situation, must be repeated: 

How many wars take place within the people of God and in our different communities! In our neighbourhoods and in the workplace, how many wars are caused by envy and jealousy, even among Christians! Spiritual worldliness leads some Christians to war with other Christians who stand in the way of their quest for power, prestige, pleasure and economic security. Some are even no longer content to live as part of the greater Church community but stoke a spirit of exclusivity, creating an “inner circle”. Instead of belonging to the whole Church in all its rich variety, they belong to this or that group which thinks itself different or special. (n. 98)

Kyrie eleison!

3. The Basic Principles of the Mission

Therefore, Jesus’ teaching in this regard, made to the Twelve, now “inside the house,” retain their contemporary and enduring relevance in saecula seculorum for all members of the Church, or the house of God: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” The special importance of this teaching of Jesus is emphasized by the solemn manner in which He taught it: “He sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them.” The description of the circumstances is imbued with a sense of solemnity that calls to mind the moment when Jesus first called and established the Twelve on the mountain (cf. Mark 3:13-14). In light of this, the teaching that Jesus now offers from the position of “sitting down,” as Master, encourages each of the disciples to reflect on their true calling to be the last, “servant of all,” in the path of mission, just as He did, “though he was in the form of God, […] he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:6-8).

The first fundamental principle for fulfilling God’s and Christ’s mission is to adopt the attitude of a humble servant of all and in everything, in accordance with Jesus’ example, even to the point of offering one’s life. This is such an important point that it is reiterated by Jesus at another time: “Whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:44-45). It seems evident that the service, in the mission of Jesus and His disciples, is not to be expressed only by individual acts, but also and above all by the offering of one’s whole life, which becomes as bread broken for all.

It could be said that becoming the last implies an ever smaller being. This seems to be the perspective that Jesus was trying to convey to his disciples on that occasion, using the living illustration of a child: “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” This phrase is reminiscent of another statement by Jesus to the disciples, who were sent on a mission: “Whoever receives you receives me,^* and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me” (Mt 10:40). 

This reflects the Jewish principle of shaliah, “sending,” which was well known in Jesus’ day, according to which the sent messenger fully represents the one who sends him. On this basis Jesus reveals the divine chain of mission: God-Jesus-the apostles. The combination of the two aforementioned statements allows us to discern two fundamental truths. Firstly, the child, in its small and helpless state, paradoxically becomes the ideal image of Jesus’ envoy. Secondly, every missionary disciple of Jesus is called to become smaller and smaller, like a child, in the eyes of others, in order to represent Jesus in their mission. In this manner, the missionary disciple who follows Christ annihilates all personal ambitions for success and greatness, relying entirely on God and Christ, who sent him, even when confronted with adversity and the cross.

Therefore, we conclude our reflection by prayerfully recalling a significant passage from Pope Francis’ message for World Mission [Sun]Day 2022: “Missionaries of Christ are not sent to communicate themselves, to exhibit their persuasive qualities and abilities or their managerial skills. Instead, theirs is the supreme honour of presenting Christ in words and deeds, proclaiming to everyone the Good News of his salvation, as the first apostles did, with joy and boldness.” May Christ always be with us on this missionary journey, giving us strength and wisdom from above! Amen.